'Action is imminent': Police set to end occupation of downtown Ottawa

• Downtown LRT stations will be closed startingFriday morning.
• Police have plans, strategies and tactics to get protesters to leave Ottawa, interim police Chief Steve Bell says.
• Bell promised residents this weekend won't be like past three.
• Coun. Eli El-Chantiry is the new police services board chair.
• Quebec provincial policehave been deployed to Ottawa.

Interim Ottawa police Chief Steve Bell issued a stark warning to protesters saying officers are ready to end what he calls the illegal occupationof Ottawa'sdowntown core that has lasted three weeks.

"Action is imminent," Bell communicated to protesters through a Thursday afternoon news conference.

"It's time to go. Your time in our city has come to an end and you must leave."

Large numbers of officers from several agencies have been moving into the city's downtown area in an attempt to end the demonstrations.

A secure perimeter with nearly 100 police checkpoints hasbeen established spanning the area between Bronson Avenue, Highway 417, Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, Bell said.The perimeter is meant toensure only those who live, work or have a reason, such as a doctor's appointment in the downtown core, are being let through, he added.

"We want people to peacefully leave. But I can tell you if they do not peacefully leave, we have plans, strategies and tactics to be able to get them to leave," Bell said.

Friday LRTservice cancelled in downtown

Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for Ottawa, with20 to 30 centimetres of snow forecasted to startThursday evening and continue intoFriday morning.

OC Transpo, inanticipation ofthe snow and increasing police presence downtown, will not be operating the LRTfrom Pimisi Station to Hurdman Station beginning at the start of morning service Friday.

Train service will be provided from Tunney's Pasture Station to Pimisi Station in the west and from Blair Station to Hurdman Station in the east, with staff present to assist customers with bus transfers.

Bus service will also operate on a reduced schedule across the city. Commuters can find the latest information on the OC Transpo website.

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More formal warnings in downtown core

Throughout Thursdaypolice continued to issue formal warnings to protesterstellingthem to leave the area,and the city's interim police chief said a safe end to the 21-day illegal occupation of downtown streets was a matter of when, not if.

Bell said anyone with children still at the protest has been asked to leave, although plans to end the occupation do takechildren's welfare into consideration, and police continue to work with the Children's Aid Society to ensure kids are kept safe.

"Only those with lawful reason to enter the core, such as residents, businesses and others with lawful reasons, will be allowed in the area," Bell toldthe Ottawa Police Services Board earlier in the day.

"The unlawful protesters must leave the area and will not be provided access."

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Hundreds of vehicles including semi-trailer trucks have clogged Parliament Hill andsurrounding residential neighbourhoodssince Jan. 28. The latest estimate from police counted360 vehicles, plus a shifting number of protesters, some whom remained in the area overnight.

'Take our streets back'

There have been questions around how police would be able to remove heavy trucks without the assistance of tow companies or the truck operators themselves. Bell said he didn't see anyissues with police's ability to remove any vehicles, but did not elaborate on logistics.

Tens of thousands of people live in and around the occupied area. They've reported harassment some of it racist and homophobic assaultand disruption from noise and fumes. Many businesses and services in the area have closed.

Bell also promised residentsthis weekend would not be anything like the past three.

"Our goal is to take our streets back. Our goal is to actually give the streets of Ottawa back to the community that own it and deserve it," he said,while also trying to ensure protests aren't just moved elsewhere.

The increase in police presence has happened while the federal government says banks have begun to freeze the accounts of people linked to the demonstrations through information gathered by the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies.

Also this week, Peter Slolyresigned from his post as Ottawa's police chiefafter criticism of his response, whilethe chair of the city's police services board was voted outone day later during an unusually emotional meeting. On Thursday, Coun. Eli El-Chantiryreprised his role as chairof the board, a position he held for 12 years until 2018.

Ottawa's protest has inspired similar demonstrations across Canada and in some other countries.

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